A water supply contaminated with human waste forced the owners of The Landing cafe at Lake Tarawera to close their doors, leaving them angry and frustrated.
Tangi Vautiera and husband Ian said that as soon as they discovered a problem with the cafe's water supply, they closed the restaurant.
On Saturday, February 6, Mr Vautiera checked on the cafe's water supply from a water tank on the hill above the restaurant, on Department of Conservation (DOC) land.
He saw the cafe's supply had been hooked up to a different tank, one which had been used to store effluent from the previous owner's boat.
He immediately closed the cafe and contacted DOC and tried to get hold of the Rotorua District Council, Environment Bay of Plenty and health authorities.
Mrs Vautiera said DOC admitted giving directions for work to be done and doing that without consulting the owners of The Landing.
"We did not know this change had occurred, we did not know they had done work, we did not know what equipment was used," Mrs Vautiera said.
"I know we acted responsibly once we knew. We advised all our staff to go to a doctor."
On Monday, February 8, Mr Vautiera reported the incident to the council and the couple wanted to inform the media, but after a meeting, DOC said it would release a statement to the public last Friday, Mrs Vautiera said.
That did not happen.
The couple kept their restaurant closed for 10 days, waiting for test results showing the water was no longer contaminated. Late yesterday afternoon Mr Vautiera received a call from the council to say the latest tests showed the cafe's water supply was no longer contaminated.
A chemical wash, used twice to flush the system, damaged the cafe's coffee machine, hot water cylinder and dishwasher.
Mr Vautiera said the cafe would be back in business in the next day or two, once new appliances had been installed.
The couple took over the cafe only two months ago and having to close in the middle of the busy season had huge implications for the business, although it was not just a financial issue, Mrs Vautiera said.
"That whole area is very near and dear to my heart, it is very sacred and special to my people, my ancestors are from there.
"The financial side is huge, but it's not the only thing," she said.
"I do feel a responsibility to take care of the land."
In a statement issued yesterday, DOC said the contamination occurred during work by a plumber unrelated to the supply of water to the cafe.
"The water supply to the cafe, which comes via public conservation land administered by the Department of Conservation, had become contaminated, through the installation of a tank that had been previously used for removal of human waste from boats," the statement said.
"At the time of installation, the previous use of the tank was not known and was used in good faith.
"It is a serious mistake and we are obviously very sorry that this situation has occurred ... We have done all we can to reinstate the original supply."
The statement said another plumber was called in to fix the problem and the department replaced the damaged appliances.
Water mix-up angers cafe owners
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